Silicosis Claims

Oakwood Solicitors offers expert legal advice and support for individuals seeking to file silicosis claims. Silicosis is a debilitating lung disease caused by prolonged inhalation of silica dust, often affecting workers in industries such as stonemasonry, construction, mining, engineering and manufacturing.

If you have been diagnosed with silicosis and believe it was due to your workplace conditions, you may be entitled to compensation.

Our dedicated team of solicitors specialises in occupational disease claims, helping you to secure the financial support needed for medical treatment, lost wages, and ongoing care. We provide compassionate, professional guidance throughout the entire claims process to ensure the best possible outcome for you.

Silicosis (or Occupational Pulmonary Fibrosis) is a serious lung disease caused by the inhalation of fine silica dust, which is a mineral found in materials like sand, rock, and quartz. When silica dust is inhaled over time, it settles in the lungs, leading to inflammation and scarring of lung tissue.

This damage reduces the lungs’ ability to take in oxygen, causing symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, and fatigue.

Silicosis is a progressive and incurable disease, which often develops years after exposure to silica dust. There are three types: chronic silicosis, which occurs after long-term exposure; accelerated silicosis, which develops faster after high exposure; and acute silicosis, which can appear after just a few months of intense exposure.

Silicosis is also a type of pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease which occurs when the tissue becomes damaged and scarred. The thickened, stiff tissue often makes it hard for the lungs to work properly, and can worsen over time.

Silicosis can severely impact a person’s quality of life and prevention, through protective equipment and dust control measures, is crucial, as there is no cure for silicosis.

If you have been diagnosed with Silicosis and you believe it was caused as a result of failures/and or negligence in your current or former workplace, you may be entitled to claim compensation. Employers have a legal duty to ensure employees are safe at work, by providing adequate protective equipment, training and safety practices.

If you believe your employer failed to meet these requirements and as a result, you have suffered harm, you may be entitled to compensation.

If your Silicosis symptoms were initially mistaken for another condition or your diagnosis took an unnecessarily long time to confirm, you may also be able to make a claim for medical misdiagnosis or delay.

As well as the common law duty to ensure a safe place of work and a safe system of work, your employer will have several duties set down by statute:

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

• Employers have a duty so far as is reasonably practicable to ensure the safety and welfare of their employees.

Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

• Duty to undertake a reasonable risk assessment (Reg. 3)
• Requirement to undertake a health surveillance (Reg. 6)

Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992

• Ensure that suitable personal equipment is provided (Reg. 4)
• Ensure an assessment of any personal protective equipment is undertaken to determine whether it is suitable.

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health 2002

• Required to assess health risks where work is liable to expose employees to substances hazardous to health (Reg. 6)
• Ensure exposure to substances hazardous to health is either prevented or where not reasonably practicable, adequately controlled (Reg. 7)
• Ensure any employee exposed to substances hazardous to health are monitored and under suitable health surveillance (Reg. 11)

If these are not met and as a result, you have suffered harm, you may be entitled to compensation.

The amount of compensation you will be awarded will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and will depend on your circumstances and injuries caused by the exposure.

The claims range for these types of cases can be from a few thousand pounds to hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Silica dust is commonly found in materials that contain crystalline silica, a mineral present in many natural substances. Materials that contain silica dust include:

• Sandstone
• Granite
• Quartz
• Concrete
• Bricks
• Ceramics and tiles
• Glass
• Stone (like marble and limestone)
• Asphalt
• Soil, clay, and gravel

These materials release silica dust when cut, drilled, ground, or crushed, which is why industries like construction, mining, stonemasonry, and glass manufacturing are particularly at risk for exposure.

The symptoms of silicosis vary depending on the severity of the disease, but they generally develop gradually and worsen over time. Common symptoms include:

• Persistent Cough: A chronic, dry cough that doesn’t go away.
• Shortness of Breath: Difficulty breathing or a feeling of breathlessness, especially after physical activity.
• Chest Pain: Discomfort or pain in the chest area.
• Fatigue: Persistent tiredness and lack of energy.
• Weight Loss: Unexplained weight loss over time.
• Fever: In some cases, low-grade fever may occur.
• Blue-tinted lips or skin (Cyanosis): Due to a lack of oxygen in the blood.

In more advanced cases, individuals may experience worsening respiratory issues, a higher risk of lung infections like tuberculosis, and other complications such as lung cancer or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

At present, there is no cure for Silicosis because lung damage cannot be reversed. However, there is treatment available to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life. There’s no cure for silicosis because the lung damage can’t be reversed. Treatment aims to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.

For example, you may be offered long-term home oxygen therapy if you’re having difficulty breathing and have low levels of oxygen in your blood.

Bronchodilator medicines may also be prescribed to widen your airways and make breathing easier.

In very severe cases, a lung transplant may be an option, although there are strict health requirements to meet before this will be considered.